An Albuquerque Catholic parish already known for provocative political displays is facing new scrutiny after its church letterboard appeared to single out a local woman by name after she repeatedly criticized the parish’s left-wing messaging.
The latest controversy centers on Saint Therese Parish, also known as the Shrine of the Little Flower, on Fourth Street in Albuquerque. A photo of the parish sign shows the message: “RACISM GRAVE SIN AGAINST GODS LOVE KATRINA G.”
The apparent reference was to Katrina Griego, who has posted multiple photos of the parish’s letterboard signs on Facebook while criticizing what she described as a “woke” priest using a Catholic church for political messaging.
In one May 30 Facebook post, Griego wrote, “So sad to see this sign at a Catholic Church. This ‘woke’ priest continues to post anti ICE messages. He wants us to boycott these restaurants because they support ICE.”
Her post included a photo of a Saint Therese sign reading, “EARLY VOTING NOW ICE STILL MEETS FRONTIER – GOLDEN PRIDE,” appearing to reference the popular Albuquerque restaurants Frontier and Golden Pride.
Another post from March showed the parish sign reading, “BLESSED LENT & RAMADAN.” Griego wrote, “Saw this sign today at St Therese CATHOLIC Church in Albuquerque. This ‘so called’ priest is out of control and needs to be removed.”
In January, Griego posted photos of signs reading, “NO ONE IS ILLEGAL IN GODS REALM” and “WE ARE RENEE GOOD / SOMOS RENEE GOOD,” writing that she did not believe such messages were appropriate for a Catholic church.
The political messaging has continued. Another photo provided to Piñon Post shows a Saint Therese sign reading, “NO KINGS IN USA ONLY JESUS,” an apparent reference to the anti-Trump “No Kings” left-wing protest slogan.
The situation escalated when Griego said she went to the church to photograph the sign that named her. In a Facebook Live video, Griego claimed she had a confrontation at Saint Therese and said, “I got maced.”
Griego said Rev. Vincent Paul Chávez came out shortly after she arrived and recognized her.
“He’s like, ‘Oh you’re Katrina, you’re the one that’s always taking pictures of my signs and taking video,’” Griego said in the video. She claimed Chávez said she had been “living rent-free” in his head and accused her of being “racist” and “probably a Trumpster too.”
Griego also alleged that a man she identified as Timothy Fresquez, whom she described as a groundskeeper, approached her afterward.
“He started saying that I was a f—— b—- and that I was evil,” Griego said.
She also said police told her they were going to file charges against Fresquez. Piñon Post has not independently verified whether charges were filed.
At one point in the live video, Griego said she was staying live because she feared the priest.
“I’m staying live because the priest of this church, he physically attacks people,” she said.
The controversy also drew attention from local activist Marcie May, who posted on X, “Love thy neighbor? Not if you don’t bow your knee to Islam!” May wrote that Saint Therese Parish “singles out Katrina [G]riego” after Griego had called on the parish to “align with the Catholic Doctrine.”
Chávez has been at the center of political controversy before.
In 2020, the Albuquerque Journal reported that Archbishop John C. Wester told Chávez to remove a display in front of the church that depicted a child in a cage under a foil blanket, paired with a message about children separated from parents at the border.
The Journal reported that parents at the nearby Saint Therese Catholic School were upset about the display and had threatened to disenroll their children. Wester reportedly asked Chávez to remove the cage and “refrain from any contentious, controversial and provocative signs.”
Chávez told the Journal he was “dumbfounded” by the request and defended the display as symbolic art meant to start a conversation. He also described the country’s border-separation policy as a “grave collective social sin for every American.”
The Journal noted at the time that Chávez had used the parish marquee for messages including “Black Lives Matter,” praise for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and the CDC, and “No human is illegal in God’s realm.”
Now, years later, the church’s public sign is again at the center of controversy — this time not just for political messaging, but for appearing to call out a private citizen by name.
For many, the question is no longer merely whether a Catholic parish should be used to promote left-wing political causes.
It is whether a priest should use an official church letterboard to publicly shame a woman who criticized him.
“Father” Chavez is a menace, needs defrocked and excommunicated. Archbishop Wester is a coward and checked out since he is waiting on his replacement to take on this problem. The only way to get the archdiocese to pay attention is to stop all monetary contributions to them and St. Therese. If anyone has their kid in that school, pull them ASAP.